544 



Progress in Science. 



[Oftober, 



however, shortly receive a practical solution, as we understand that Mr. Hughes 

 intends to send another and a still better shield to Shoeburyness for 

 trial. The experiments with the new War Office target took place at 

 Shoeburyness last July. The target measured 48 feet long by g feet high, and 

 although built up in one, it really represents two systems of targets. In one 

 the armour-plating is 8 inches thick, with a backing of teak 18 inches thick, 

 and a f-inch iron skin with iron ribs in the rear. In the other the front plate 

 is 8 inches thick, backed by5^ inches of teak, behind which is a 5-inch armour- 

 plate backed with 6 inches of teak and a i|-inch iron skin. The guns brought 

 to bear upon this compound target were the g-inch Woolwich muzzle-loading 

 rifled 250-pounder, and the 11-inch Woolwich muzzle-loader rifled 500-pounder 

 gun. The g-inch gun was directed against the 8-inch armoured portion, and 

 the 11-inch was laid against the target carrying the 13 inches of divided 

 armour, the ranges being in both cases 200 yards. Both guns penetrated the 

 targets, the 11-inch weapon doing exceptionally good work in sending its pro- 

 jectiles through the two armour-plates and backing of the second target. Both 

 plates were cleanly penetrated, the puncture disclosing the fact that the metal 

 was of splendid quality. The second part of the programme for the day con- 

 sisted of comparative trials with the nominal 4-pounder breech-loading 

 Prussian rifled field-gun, fired with g lb. cylindrical projectiles, against the 

 English muzzle-loading g-pounder and 16-pounder field-guns. The general 

 results of this practice were that the English 16-pounder fired 25 rounds in 

 13 minutes 30 seconds, making 14 hits upon the target ; the English g-pounder 

 fired the same number of rounds in 8 minutes 37 seconds, scoring 13 hits, 

 whilst the Prussian field-gun fired a like number of rounds in 10 minutes 

 15 seconds, making 13 hits. Competitive practice was then carried out with 

 the three guns against targets representing troops with good results. 



Stability of Ships. — This subject has engaged a considerable amount of 

 consideration since the unfortunate loss of the Captain. Amongst other con- 

 tributions towards a full investigation of this branch of scientific research, we 

 notice a " Lecture on Sea Waves," by W. J. Macquorn Rankine, C.E., LL.D., 

 F.R.S., delivered before the Royal Institution, which we referred to in the July 



Fig. 17. 



6° 8° 



A B c d, official curve of stability. 



F, point fixed by inclining experiment. 



F G h, probable continuation of curve. 



number of this Journal, and a paper on " The Stability of Ships," by W. H. 

 White and W. John, Fellows and late Students of the Royal School of Naval 

 Architecture, and Members of the Institution of Naval Architects, recently read 

 before that Institution. Mr. M. W. Ruthven, C.E., in a letter recently 

 addressed to some weekly contemporaries, remarks that the Captain was 

 evidently lost for want of stability, while the official curve of stability was 



